Going Primal

Nineteen months ago I went to The White House for the National Day of Prayer and thoroughly enjoyed hearing President Bush speak (for the last time as president) on the importance of prayer. I invited a pastor friend to go with me and afterwards he suggested going to a coffeehouse near Union Station called Ebenezers. He told me about a creative pastor named Mark Batterson and hoped we would get a chance to meet him. I must admit, I had never heard of Mark but he sounded like someone I could appreciate. As it turned out, Mark Batterson was available and took time to talk with us. He was very gracious and answered all our questions. My friend asked me if I had read Mark's book, In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day, to which I said no. One week later I knew why he raved about it so much. After getting my own copy I devoured it within a few days. How could Mark ever hope to best In a Pit and his last publication, Wild Goose Chase . . . by going primal. Primal - A quest for the lost soul of Christianity just came out and all I can say is "unbelievable!" Mark Batterson was already a good writer, but Primal proves that he has matured into a great writer. In Primal, Mark takes us on a journey down the stairs in The Church of San Clemente in Rome, and backwards through the portals of time to a place where Christianity is raw and untamed. He invites the reader to rediscover the wonder of who God is, and helps us to understand how we can know the Creator of the universe in new and more meaningful ways. For me personally, I appreciate Mark's transparency about his own Christian walk and his honesty to admit what most pastors are afraid to - namely that there are times when God seems silent. There are times when pastors walk in the wilderness too. The important thing is not to stay there and Primal is a great book for helping Christians renew their love relationship for God and His Word. If you are looking for a great read this Christmas, I would highly recommend Mark Batterson's Primal. If it hasn't hit your local bookstore yet, you can find it by going to RandomHouse.com. Have a Merry Christmas.

CAP

Thoughts from the Festival of Marriage

It might seem strange that I am blogging about the annual Festival of Marriage (FOM) from nearly two weeks ago, but it has taken that long to digest much of what happened there in Ocean City. First, all of our workshops were well attended and we thank God for that. Some couples even brought chairs from other rooms to attend. We can prepare the material and pray for God's blessings - but He is the One who gives the increase. This was our third year teaching for LifeWay and we appreciate the professionalism of Mark Satterfield and the event staff. All we had to do is show up and minister to the couples, and there were a lot of couples in need. As a pastor, when I counsel, there are usually opportunities to see the end result, but at these conferences we have to have faith that the couples we train will follow through, using the new tools in their marriage toolbox. FOM is an incredibly fulfilling and powerful event that leaves you in amazement days (and even weeks) after it is over. As we said last year, there is no way of knowing how many years the Lord will allow us to continue teaching at FOM. So until the invitations stop, we will seek to impact as many couples as we can.

CAP

Not Ashamed to Beg

On Thursday we will leave for Ocean City, Maryland to teach at the Festival of Marriage(FOM) for LifeWay. This is the third year that we have been asked to lead workshops for FOM and we don't take the privilege lightly. One of the realities that keeps us grounded is knowing that these workshops could make the difference with couples who are about to call it quits. The last time we were in OC, we spent nearly as much time counseling between workshops as teaching. Couples are hurting and marriages are in danger of falling apart. So this is a begging blog. Since you are reading this, won't you please take a few minutes and pray for those couples coming to FOM? Crystal and I need your prayers for strength to teach in the power of God's Holy Spirit. Powerless teaching is not an option because the kids of these couples will ultimately suffer if their parents can't make it work. So add us to your prayer list. Everyone is busy, and you might not have much time - but if you can't give minutes to pray, we'll take whatever moments you can spare. Just throw us a bone. Thanks.

CAP

Like Pulling Teeth

Last week I went to the orthodontist to have a tooth extracted. Believe it or not, it was a baby tooth that did not have a permanent tooth underneath - so it just sat there for all these years. Before the extraction, I asked my tormentor if the tooth really had to come out. The pain I experienced a couple of days before had subsided a little, so maybe pulling it was unnecessary. He told me that I could deal with the problem now with minimal pain, or come back later when it would be excruciating. I opted for minimal pain. Problems are a lot like a bad tooth. If you deal with them quickly, there will be discomfort but soon things begin to heal. If you wait too long, problems never go away - they always get worse. It may seem like there is peace for awhile but the infection is still there under the surface, ready to come back with a vengeance. Are you putting off dealing with something because you know there will be conflict? Are you resisting having a talk with that person who really needs it? Don't! In the end you are only prolonging their handicap. Deal with it now and learn whatever lessons God has for you. It may be like pulling teeth, but trust me, you'll be glad you did.

CAP

Faking It

I believe God is leading our church into greater depths of authenticity, which is why we are starting our Fake message series this Sunday. Over the next several weeks we will be taking a hard look at things in society that are fake - religion, friends and finances. But perhaps the most difficult thing that we will examine is the fakeness found in ourselves. As I see it, this is what is missing in our churches today. How could that ragtag band of believers in Acts 2 stay in prayer for ten days waiting on the Holy Spirit? Where did that passion come from? I believe it came out of the authenticity of their relationship with Jesus. We are living in the last days and there should be a sense of urgency in the church about reaching lost people with the gospel. But we will never have a corporate sense of urgency in our churches if individual members (and pastors) are not willing to find what's fake in their lives and trade it for truth. Don't be fake!

When you have time, read Matthew 7:21-23

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Stress Test

We recently had a problem with an outdoor faucet and had to call in the experts. Our plumber replaced the faulty faucet and inserted a gauge to test the water pressure. When he turned the water on, a greater problem was revealed. There was a split in the copper pipe that wouldn't have been caught if pressure had not been applied. So pressure is a good thing. Pressure helps to reveal where the flaws are. It works for copper pipes and for personal character. God allows us to live in seasons of pressure because he is forming us into the image of His Son. And while we might not be able to control an atmosphere of pressure, we can control the handle of the spigot. We can examine our own physical, spiritual, mental and emotional health, and control what we'll allow to come into our lives each day. If my batteries are charged-up, I can loosen the handle to take on a little more. If I'm feeling drained, I can tighten it. Of course there are emergencies that are beyond a person's control, but most of the time we have the ability to choose. Wayne Cordeiro said it this way - ". . . no one will monitor your energy level or your personal and emotional health." He said that, "One day when you lie in the hospital, suffering from fatigue and stress, they (friends, family, church members) will say, "Why, he should have taken better care of himself!" This is not just true for pastors, but for everyone. So watch the gauges, and be sure to allow more things into your life that strengthen you, rather than drain you. My visit from the plummer was not cheap, but it certainly costs less than a stay in the local hospital.

When you have time, read 1 Corinthian 10:13

CAP

The Hero Inside

I was reading my new Collide magazine yesterday and came across an interesting article on why we tend to love the antiheroes of today. You might be asking, "Craig, what is an antihero?" An antihero is a severely flawed individual who is the main character or hero of a story. We find ourselves cheering for them even if we would never want to be them. The reason people exchange their heroes for antiheroes is because many of their heroes are flawless. We cannot relate to Superman because he is perfect. He has no real problems. But all of us, living in the real world, have real problems. So we gravitate to characters who have human failings and hope for some redemption to take place in their lives. The problem is, if they ever get that redemption and change for the better - we probably won't like them anymore. If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, in a way, you are an antihero. I don't mean this negatively. We all have our weaknesses because of the sin nature inside of us. But Christ also dwells in us and because of Him, we can do heroic things. We can make a difference in this world, not just for time, but for eternity.

CAP